Pistol Readable Version
by MerlinsApprentince
Summary: Lily Evans was just any ordinary witch, plain and true, until one day she finds herself in a dangerous sitaution. With the help of her nemesis, James Potter, she battles against the darkness of the unknown, mysterious unicorns, and what looks to be the en
1. Chapter 1: Welcome Home

The Pistol  
  
by:MerlinsApprentince  
  
***  
  
A/N:Hello everyone this is my first fanfic on Ff.net. Just making a little howdy to people.  
  
Basicly this is a Lily/James Hate/Love story. My fave. Almost as Good as Marshmallow Fluff. ALMOST. It'll have alittle action a little drama, just the basic mix of everything. ^.^ Yay me.  
  
Disclaimer: HP does not belong to me or I would be a millionaire with closets full of delicious marshmallow fluff... but i dont...MUWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHa *cough*  
  
Lily Evans starred out of her parents 1966 T-Bird window the fresh fall air sweeping through her red tendrils. The slightly chilly London air always gave her a spur. It meant 2 of her favorite things were happening. It meant that winter her all time favorite season was coming closer and that it was time for Lily to go back to school .  
  
Lily didn't really go to a regular secondary school like she would at the age of 16.But Lily was a witch with the ability to do magic whether it be with their own wand suited just for you or if it was a concoction of unusual potion ingrediants or even with her own mind. It is thought that there was no place that exists that teaches you such stuff but right under the Muggles (non-wizard folk) noses there was many different magical landmarks all around the world. Hogwarts, one of the many schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry, located in London was where this young particular witch was going. Lily loved everything about Hogwarts.   
  
It's magical winding staircases and its moving commentating pictures and so on. She loved Qudditch even though she wasn't very good on a broomstick and she adored her house, Galiant Gryffindor. There was 4 houses in all at Hogwarts; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. At your 1st year your escorted to the Grand Room (another thing Lily throughly missed) to the Sorting hat a very kind and intelligant hat who sorts you into you own individual house. Lily was lucky to get into Gryffindor who was brave at heart and loyal to all. Ravenclaw wasnt that bad it was for extremely smart people and Hufflepuff were for the kind. Slytherin was the one that wasn't ok. Everyone who went through Slytherin came out as a dark witch or wizard. And that was bad.  
  
"Lily will you please roll up you window, you'll ruin my hairdo" Lily's obnixouis sister Petunia hissed holding down the complicated beehive hair that used about 10 cans of hairspray. Lily raised a thin eyebrow at her sister who held her head down tightly. "Lily dear please roll up your window" Her parents John and Kelli Evans asked more pioletely then Petunia's hiss. Lily would do anyting for her parents, she loved them more then Hogwarts and magic put together. They allowed her with pride for their youngest daughter, to go to Hogwarts when she first recieved her letter in her 1st year and every other year after allowed her to return. So sadly Lily rolled up the window getting trapped in the car with the heat and artifical air. "Keep that thing down too, its annoying me" Petunia exclaimed to the cage that was meowing loudly.   
  
Lily bent down to put the cage on her lap and starred inside it. Inside was her cat Malley, named after the witch with 5 arms who turned into a best selling authoress. Malley was a fat spoiled cat who always got her way with Lily. She was all black except the tip of her ears, the tip of her four feet and her big round belly which was all pure white fur. "Malley doesn't like to be cooped in a cage, Petunia" Lily insisted in a quiet voice. She and Petunia use to be really close friends before Hogwarts, but now that Petunia has a sister who does magic and all, it seems to be all she says to Lily are some bitter unhappy compliants about her younger sister. Petunia starred blankly out the window with no reply. "Well we're almost to King's Cross, dears" Lily's mom said breaking the ice.Lily sighed openly. "Almost home free" she whispered.  
  
***   
  
"Now 2 trunks one for clothing one for books?"  
  
"Check"  
  
"One for supplies?"  
  
"Check"  
  
"Bag of goodies?"  
  
"Check"  
  
"And finally Malley?"   
  
"All set mum" Lily said to her mom's checklist. One minor bad detail about her dear mom was that she was a control and neat freak. Sadly Lily didn't inherit those qualitys. If her mom didn't go through her check list she had, she would have forgotten something and she left her room as a pigsty before she went off to school. "Well dear we'll see you during the summer I suppose?" her father asked scooping her into a big hug. Lily spent the 1st 2 years with her family during Christmas but since her her 3rd year she stayed at Hogwarts due to some assignment she procrastinated or something along those lines ever since. "I'll live" Lily teased hugging her 2 parents close and tight. Lily headed next to Petunia wondering if she would want a hug or even a handshake would do.   
  
But Petunia kept turning around, chewing her gum loudly. Lily got the hint. "Bye Mum. Bye Dad. I'll send a owl as soon as I get there" she promised quickly kissing both on the cheek for the last time. "Cya Lovely have a great time at school. Get good grades!" They called as Lily pulled the trolley away from them. Silently eyeing around she spotted the pillar in between Platform 9 and 10. Rolling the trolley softly she hurried, picking up the pace she needed to get on Platform 9 3/4 where the Hogwarts Express waited.  
  
The Hogwarts Express took them straight to Hogwarts via train. It was an easy way to travel. Running quickly , in a blink of an eye, Lily raced into the pillar and in the mext moment she was on the wooden floor of Platform 9 3/4. Hanging gaily on the hanger was the Hogwarts Crest decorated with the Lion, Eagle, Badger, and Serpent. The Hogwarts Express was just around the corner.   
  
"Lilyyyyyy!!!" a loud voice exclaimed and she felt something slam against her in a fierce hug. "Lily,Lily how long has it been? Why didn't you owl me?" Lily turned around to see her best friend in the whole world, Clementine Sieber. Lily met Clementine on the 1st year and had stuck together like glue. It wasn't hard to miss her ethier because Clementine was loud , outspoken, and dyed her blonde hair a different color every year. "Oh my Clem look at your hair!" Lily exclaimed looking at Clementine's long curly bright pink hair. It was Jazz Pink. "Do you like it? My parents freaked but I love it!!" Lily raised her eyebrows as high as they could possibly go. Her mouth gaped.   
  
"Its uh.... Its uh ......Its uh.... very bright!" she commented, laughing taking her friend's bright curl into her hand.Clementine was tall thin and beautiful and despite the bright hair and different opinions (especially against the Professors) she was one of the most popular girls in the school. Lily was not that tall not, not skinny but yet not fat, with her bright red hair and dark green eyes. Clementine's skin was dark and tan and Lily was white almost ivory skin. But still firends were friends. "Come on Lady and Reilly are waiting for us on the train" she insisted.   
  
Lily knodded. "I'll be there in a minute, Lemme put my stuff on the train" Clementine knodded and with her active self went on to her next friend she spotted. Lily just laughed shaking her red tendrils. As she loaded, she heard alot of the other Hogwarts students saying goodbye to their family.   
  
"G'Bye Mum! Yes I've got Hermy"   
  
"Cya Rents I've got to run Peace out!"   
  
"Listen, Mum, I kinda need some Galleons and Knuts for Hogsmeade..."  
  
"I gotta go Mum! Don't worry no more trouble I promise! Yes literally no more blowing up girls bathrooms. Just some Filbi Fireworks... Awe come on Kate I'll bring you back some good stuff... Bye guys!"   
  
Lily turned around to see the kid. Oh. Of course. James Potter. The kid who never slept. The Prankster. They guy who made the memorable fireshow during Mcgonnagall's class. The thing that drove Lily crazy about it was that people fell for the attention he was attracting. He and his friends were just about as popular as Clementine. Maybe even more so. His friend Siruis was dating her.  
  
He was just... ARGH sometimes. Lily hurried faster hoping to God that she wasn't going to run into any of them, taking chubby Malley into her arms and climbing into the Hogwarts train. She slid into the nearest compartment next to Clementine and Lady, a brunette with big blue eyes. These had been her school friends since the 1st year. "Lily, how have you been?" Lady smilied at her. Lily knew Lady really didn't like her. She was only dealing with her because Clementine did. "Hi Lady" was all Lily stated with a pursed smile heading over to the other side of the compartment.   
  
"So then my mom just stared as if I had grown 2 heads like in 2nd year, it was so funny!!!" Clementine exclaimed as all the girls around her giggled along. Lily silently listened for a few minutues but as the train rattled on Clementine's stories became dull and she pulled out Lousia May Alcott's bestselling book "Little Women". She loved old muggle books and read them more then anyone at school did. Suddenly halfway there Lily thought things were going pretty good when the compartment door opened and a bunch of other people flooded in. It was a pain to be friends with popular people.   
  
Basicly it was all the girls boyfriends though. Lily suddenly felt herself sigh inwardly, when the Mauraders - a clan consisting of 4 mischevoious boys who are obnixouis, arrogant and self concietated, no doubt. There was Sirius Black, Clementine's boyfriend. Dark, tall, and handsome was one way to describe him. Another was to say he was obnixouis, nasty, and regal. Sirius sidled next to Clem kissing her. Lily knew Clem loved the attention. Probably the reason why she was dating him at all.   
  
Then there was Remus Lupin. He wasn't all that bad. He did his schoolwork and he wasn't as flirtatouis as the rest of them. He was very nice and piolete too. But he still went along with all their stupid tricks. He flocked to his own girlfriend, Robin Mckay, a girl just like him. Next to him was short, tiny and pudgy Peter Pettigrew, unsure of what to do with himself. Short and round he may be but his bravery past the test for the Mauraders. He didn't have a girlfriend which really didn't surprise Lily. He wasn't all that cute.   
  
Then James Potter. How could she forget him? James was flirtatouis and self centered and if him straying to Lady's side was a surprise... well it just wasn't. Lily felt a tad bit disgusted at how fast the girls riveted their attention spans toward them in a blink of an eye. Just like that. Shaking her head she closed her book taking Malley into her lap. "What took you so long James? I've been waiting.." Lady cooed passionately kissing James. Please, one girl could suffer enough in one day. Rolling her eyes she got up taking Malley with her and walked out of the compartment. It was going to be a long day.  
  
***   
  
James smilied down at Lady. Very pretty girl indeed but as gullible and empty in the head as a quaffle. "Sorry Hon, we had to make sure we got paid back for last years disasters" he teased lightly kissing her lips. He didn't know how long he and Lady would be together this year. He had met an awesome Hufflepuff with brilliant blue eyes and soft blonde hair and the awry of frecklas on her cute cat like face... "Look at this hair!" he heard Sirius's loud amazed laugh break his thoughts. James looked over at Clementine's hair and Sirius was right to be amazed. Clem's hair was bright pink. If Siruis hadn't caught her first James would be flirting with her right now. She was a beauty and wild unlike the girls he had dated once before.  
  
"You like it? So much better then dull red like last year" James rolled his ice blue eyes as she mentioned her carrot head self last year. If he had Clementine he'd perfer that soft red color then this bright pink color."I love it!" Sirius lied as he kissed her on the cheek. He knew Sirius to well. He hated Clementine's new hair color. She wouldn't last a week with her. James sighed. "Hey we should change guys... lets go ok?"   
  
Peter knodded hurriedly. James felt a tiny bit sorry for the guy because of the way he stuttered around girls. "Seeya Baby" Sirius and Remus promised to Robin and Clem picking their way back to their own compartment. "Listen I'll be there in a minute guys" James sighed noticing his untied shoelace. "Hurry I need to go back to ice cream head" Sirius complained groaning at Clementine's hair. James rolled his eyes. In they're 6th year you'd think he could come up with a better insult.   
  
Concentrating on his shoelace he really didn't notice anything else. Suddenly he heard the heavy patter of shoes and then in minutes someone tripped over his arse and in the next minute he and someone else was on the ground in a big heap of cloaks and mixed up body parts."What the hell?" some girl voice exclaimed pulling herself up to see James looking as puzzled and guilty as she felt. The girl was none other then The Terminator. Lily Evans. She detested anything happy and joyful. He never heard of her breaking a rule and she liked sharing her opinion-- in James opinion-- way too much.   
  
In her hands was a fat cat and abandoned next to her was an extrememly large book. "Awe Shit" James muttured pulling himself up. Lily growled, stepping back pulling her cloak against her. She felt a nasty bruise form against her hip. It hurt like hell. But instead of yelping in pain, she radiated her pain and anger toward Innocent James who gathered his glasses from the train floor. "What the hell were you doing?" Lily exclaimed rubbing her hip. Malley hissed roughly at James.   
  
James raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You think this is my fault?" he exclaimed loudly pulling out his wand and tapped it against the broken bridge of his glasses. They mended in a quarter of a second. "Well yeah!" Lily exclaimed as if it was the most obvouis thing in the world. "What are you talking about? You should have looked where you were going!" he cried out exasperated at this girl. Hello! He had absolutely nothing to do with this tripping incident!!! Its the truth this time!!!  
  
"What are you doing in the middle of the hallway then?" she squealed her red elegant hair awry and her emerald green eyes aflame. "I---I was tying my shoes!" James cried just getting a bit more tongue tied at the brilliant green stare. Lily sighed her anger drowning as fast as it had boiled up. Maybe he did have nothing to do with it. Maybe he did.  
  
"Whatever" she sighed flattening her disturbed head against the train wall trying to knock her senses out to a more calm world. James scooped up the book abadoned on the floor and handed it to her."Little Women..." he said reading the title upside down. "Excuse me" Lily said haughtily taking the book from his grasp. Without another word she took it and then held the book close to her chest. She gave another flamed look and hurried away. James sighed. That girl was a Pistol.  
  
Lily huffed back to her compartment, her anger boiling more as she thought of her embrassment, the way she acted, the way he acted. Totally trying to deny it. "Who does he think he is...? Tripping me like that and completely denying it the little---" she hissed loudly, making Malley jump from her sleeping place. Clementine raised a eye at her hissy complaints and rude languge which she knew Lily tried often to not do. "Whats up, Lil?" she asked concerned sitting up from her seat and headed over to her close friend. Lily fumed slightly her face as red as her hair. "Your friend's boyfriend is such a.... ARGH!" she exclaimed for lack of words, pulling her red tendrils tightly in her grasp. It was his plan to humiliate her. She was only happy no one had seen it. She knew he didn't like her much. She only hoped he wasn't planning to do this all year...  
  
Clementine laughed pleasently confused. It wasnt that often when Lily got pissed, she always kept her anger in check. But when she was pissed it was a pretty funny sight. "Who?" Clem giggled. "That James Potter" she hissed wrinkling her nose at the thought and even at the sound of his name. "James? What he do to make you so hot and bothered?" Clementine asked still giggling off and on. Lily gave her the stink eye ."Tripped me on purpose the little creep. Big Bruise" Clementine gave a false sigh of worry. "Poor thing... you'll live" she said petting the red head. Lily sighed. The closer they got to Hogwarts the better.  
  
***   
  
"That was extrememly good..." Clementine whispered satisfied patting her stuff belly full of excellent Hogwarts food. Lily smilied her bad mood long forgotten when she had sight of the leering castle she come to know as home. She took a sip of the scorching onion soup slathered in mozzerella cheese. "Are you going to be able to fit in those new school robes?" she teased the warm liquid cooling down her body. The school candles floated high above the tables lighting up all the school's students.  
  
The Sorting Ceremony was long over and the new Gryffindors sat around chatting happily. The Gryffindor Ghost, Nearly Headless Nick floated around happy to see the castle full of students once again. "Ah..how was your summer Ms.Evans?" Nick asked politeley floating over. Lily never had really gotten use to seeing ghosts skimming around as if it was nothing. "It was good to see my parents so yes! I had a wonderful summer Sir Nicholas. How about you?" she asked taking another sip of the soup. Nearly Headless Nick gave a longing look at the food and remembered he was in a conversation.   
  
"Oh! Yes.. a jolly good one. And you Ms.Sieber?" he acknowledged the full Clementine still trying to stuff a treacle tart in her mouth. It didn't really matter. No matter how much Clem eats she never gained a pound. "Fine" she said with a contented smile. After finishing the soup Lily felt her stomach close down and sleep overtook her systems. "I'm going to the dormitory..." she whispered to Clem. "Okey..."   
  
Lily knodded pulling herself up and grabbed a biscuit for Malley. Hurrying through the corridors, saying hello here and there to students she knew. Softly her old cloak following along with her large strides she hurried and before she knew it she was in front of the Fat Lady. "Oh Hullo Lily how are you dear?" the round lady asked sipping her evening tea. "Hullo Fat Lady, its nice to see you. I've been fine how are you?"   
  
The Lady shurgged hotly. "Oh nothing. It's just Prince Earl the painting 2 corridors down is really getting on my wits end with his tricks even if they aren't for me... thank god!" Lily marveled at how close the story was to her own. "You have no idea" Lily chuckled. "Mircalous" The painting flipped open to reveal the hidden Gryffindor common room where the Gryffindor students boarded for the evenings and sleep. It was a small circular room with a toasty fireplace and red and gold decorations and at the way back a mighty painting of their mascot a gailant lion, painted by a very talented artist.  
  
It was usually filled with students doing homework relaxing or playing around but it was empty since they were all downstairs having their usual feast that happened on the 1st day of the new school year. And thats how Lily truly liked it when people were out of the warm common room. "Hullo Ole Common Room, tis nice to see you" she called out into the empty room. The fire crackled back merrily as if in saying "Welcome back Lily!" (AN: What a nutter. Talking to a room. Its almost as bad as walking into inanimate objects and saying excuse me... which i do not do!!!)  
  
Gladly she took a walk saying hello to everything she walked passed. Finally Lily has finished her greetings to everything and headed up the girls staircase. Silently humming to herself thinking how today had been a great day despite the little James Incident. She was back where she belonged. And its not like she couldn't go around James.. she could avoid him at all costs it was quite simple...Suddenly her thoughts stopped as she heard hushed whispers. "Your beautiful..."   
  
"Ah Sirius stop your making me blush..." said a sly voice. Lily could detect Sirius's seducing voice but the other voice certainly wasn't Clementine's. Lily lowered her footstep sounds and tiptoed to the girls dormatories. Peeking in the halfway through the open door, she saw Cristina, a 5th year Hufflepuff that James was describing earlier leaning against the wall, Sirius before her with a devilish grin. Lily knew from rumours that Cristina could get any guy she wanted and she certainly had her eye on Siruis.  
  
Seeing it was enough, she didn't bother sticking around to hear anymore coo talk or even witness anything that would get her in major trouble. Clementine was going to be very upset. Lily slipped away before the 2 could detect any spying on them. This was going to be a rough week.   
  
***  
  
"Transfiguration with Ravenclaw" Lady noted as she stared at the schedule all the students recieved at breakfast on the first day of school. It was Friday the last day of the 1st week of school. Things were going good in all the classes for Lily. She was exceling with Potions and Transfiguration. Defense Against the Dark Arts were going good and Care of Magical Creatures was becoming a favorite class quickly. Charms was getting more challenging and Herbology was just the best. Green House 3 everday now!  
  
"Did you do Professor Mcgonngall's Homework? I thought I was going to burst for the beginning of the year." Clementine laughed as she showed them the 3 struggled rolls of scrolls. Lily shrugged. The homework was actually easy. All we had to do was write 3 pages about the incident of 1886 when Larry Mcflounder had changed the whole Ministry of Magic all into animals they resembled. It was pretty humourous actually. And talking to Clementine was hard these days.   
  
She was still dating Sirius and Sirius was still dating her even after the little 'thing' Lily caught him in on the first day. Lily wasn't sure at all what to do with her little secert. She avoided Clem and Sirius at first but that thought that was to tricky and noticeable. So then Lily went for a change of course and spent most of her time with Clem then thought that was tricky so she just tried to act regular. Whatever that was.   
  
"Did you finish it Lil?" Lady asked raising her eyebrows in question. Lily looked up dragged from her own thoughts. "What?" she asked missing the question. "Homework?"   
  
"Oh yeah... Yeah I finished it" she muttured forcing a relieved smile. "You ok Lil? You look worried..." Clementine asked eyeing her best friend. "Yeah I'm fine Clem. Lets go, we're going to be late..."  
  
***  
  
"And then all you need is a tap of your wand and a Allalomo and your teacup will be a rodent of sort... Good luck" Professor Mcgonnagall said to the class. Lily knodded as she took her wand from her robe ready to work. But her mind was somewhere else then on her work and her mouse still had a handle and a gaint hold in its middle.   
  
"Ms.Evans are you ok..? Your works been a little... off lately" Mcgonnagall started as the rat squealed racing across the desk. "I'm just tired" Lily lied to Mcgonnagall giving the rat a tap and turning it back into a teacup. Mcgonnagall knodded taking the excuse without question and walked down the hallway of desks and students. When it was about 10 minutes before the next class the Professor headed up the the front of the Classroom and rapped her wand loudly getting their attention.   
  
Lily looked up from her chat with Lady. "Excuse me, Excuse me, Class, I need your undivided attention..." Mcgonngall exclaimed looking down on them. "You will have a report---" One of the students groaned. It was the first week of school and a report was already issued..."-- It will be due in 5 weeks from now. It is most like a treasure hunt. It will see how much knowledge you have and how much knowledge you have as a team. Gryffindor is all about loyalty and friendship and I'd like to see some of that in this class... You will be getting very detailed questions and you'll have to answer all of them, through prior knowledge or through your knowledge of finding. I will be assigning your partners only 2 for each group"   
  
Lily sighed. She hated when students were assigned by teachers. She always seemed to get the people she absolutely hated. But maybe Mcgonnagall would give her a break. "Clementine Sieber and Remus Lupin.... Bill Weasley and Alison Tangle. ..Lean Ander and Robin Mcdonald...Lily Evans and James Potter..." Lily felt like smashing her head into the desk. She was defaintly wrong. Even though she had tried to retain herself from slamming her skull into the hard wooden desk, James didn't even bother tring to restrain himself. She heard his head fall upon the desk with a bam.  
  
Things were getting worse by the minute.  
  
As the class left Lily and, to her surprise, James hurried up to the Professor's desk. And without even knowing both exclaimed "I can't work with Lily/James!" Lily looked at James as they talked on the spot. Professor Mcgonnagall raised both her eyebrows. "What?" she questioned slowly. "He is completely and utterly irresponsible and obnixious!" Lily complained.  
  
"And she's antisocial and a Pistol!"   
  
"Am I what?"  
  
"A pistol! You are so cold and shot at everyone you see!"  
  
"Shot? I don't shot anything! At least I don't flirt with every girl in this school!"  
  
"I do not!!!"  
  
"Children Children!" Mcgonnagall exclaimed amazed at their childish insults at one another. These 2 were the top students in her class. She was certain they would get along. "I will not change your partners---" at this Lily sighed and James stomped his foot and cursed under his breath. "You'll just have to live with one another"  
  
"Are you sure Professor? I mean..."  
  
"Ms.Evans, you 2 are my highest students in this class, I bet if you 2 work together we will get something amazing" she finished closing her teachers edition of the textbook. "End of Conversation" James sighed running his hands through his thick raven hair and Lily closed her eyes in disappointment. "Did you 2 get me?" she asked as she pulled out monkeys for the 7 year Slytherins in her next class. "Yes Professor" the 2 mumbled in unison not looking at each other in fustration. Lily blew out hot air in her body. This was going to be a supremely long 5 weeks...  
  
***  
  
"James Potter....James Potter. It still amazes me how you can date him Lady. He's the opposite of any man a woman would want to date. He's obnixouis and arrogant instead of loyal and romantic. He's self centered. Flirtatouis. Opposite I swear!!!" Lily exclaimed stuffing herself with steak slathered with soy sauce.   
  
Clementine was amazed this was the second time this year Lily was blowing off steam. "Serouisly! What gave Mcgonnagall the idea that we could possible work together?" furouisly she sliced another piece of the steak into tiny bites roughly ripping them apart. Lady watched cautiously. "Lily come on it isn't that bad!" Clementine exhaled. "Oh thats ok with you. You have Remus, a perfect boy. Handsome, piolete, and nice. And he cartainly wouldn't call you a Pistol in yours and your Transfiguration Professor's faces!" Lasy gasped and laughed.  
  
Pistol was a naughty term to the students that wasn't really good. "He didnt'!" Lily sighed knodding. "Oh he did! Yes he did indeed!" she shuddered stuffing the food once more into her mouth.  
  
***   
  
"Can you believe Mcgonnagall stuck me with the Pistol?" James exclaimed to his friends starring at the chessboard as if he had laser vision and he would blow it up. Remus winced back. James was usually awfully good at wizard's chess but Remus was creaming the guy. "She's so cold, I mean she has hardly any friends except Clem and that horrid cat. They must be related or something to be close with her" Sirius chuckled heartily at James complaints. "Why are you so bothered about this... she's smart you won't have to do any work and she isn't that ugly ethier..."  
  
"Sirius! Come on Lily Evans were talking about here... The most coldhearted antisocial person we know of. She never laughs at any of our jokes and she just does homework!" Another one of his chess pieces were taken from him. "Why don't you just stop before I really whip you...?" Remus sighed brushing his sandy blonde locks away from his face. "What?" James exclaimed starring at the board.   
  
"Your mind is defaintly somewhere else" Peter teased. James sighed running his hands through his thick hair. He did that often when he was nervous and boiling with anger. "Really James relax. You could have someone real worse. Like Snape" Sirius nose wrinkled hurriedly at the name. It was a curse around the 4 boys. Severus Snape always stuck his bed nose in someone elses business and he loved just sticking that big greasy snout in theirs. He was almost as bad as Lily Evans.  
  
James snorted. No, not even Snape could beat the Pistol. "I'd rather have Snape then her. It's that bad" he muttured surveying the chess set. Quietly he finally figured he was defeated in both ways.   
  
***  
  
Professor Mcgonnagall smilied upon the class. "Today class we have a easy day"  
  
Clementine snorted and Lily raised an eyebrow. Since when did Mcgonnagall give easy days? "Today we will pair up with your partners I set you up with last week---" Lily inwardly groaned softly throwing her head in her hands. She should have known better then to think an easy day. "And you better be doing work! You are allowed to use the library and other resources... Off now!"  
  
After the bustle of students getting with their friends or people they never knew Lily reluctantly stood up carrying her bag with her. James didn't even bother looking up twirling the quill in his hands. He finally starred at her almost tiredly breathing out a big bubble of unsureness. "So what are we going to do?' James mumbled his attention more on his quill then her. Lily sighed patting her skirt really wishing she could put her mind to something else but when work was given work was given. "Well why don't we start out in the library?" she asked coldly looking up her usually brilliant green eyes stone cold.   
  
James sighed. It was the last thing he truly wanted to do but it was better then sitting around like angry ducks. "Why not..?" he breathed taking his quill and blowing it in the air like a light feather. Lily rolled her eyes briefly. James was almost as immature as her sisters boyfriend's younger brother Phillip. And he was 2 and a half. Quietly the 2 gathered their stuff, pulling their Transfiguration book into their bags and walked on starring striaght ahead. The librarian knodded curtly as they explained that they had a Mcgonnagall assignment. James just plopped himself into a chair in the corner as Lily started pulling books from the shelf.  
  
She waited a minute book in hand to get his attention to help her out but James still sat in the corner playing with Lily's quill.Lily sighed suddenly deciding she had enough. No way was she doing one huge project of riddles in the 20 page packet she gave them earlier that week all by herself. Lily hurried over and without any warning dropped all the books onto the table with a loud bang waking James from his stare in a matter of seconds. "Whadya do that for?" he complained loudly.   
  
"Listen" Lily said hurriedly before her temper got in the way. "I am not doing this all by myself...I think we should start over. We had a bad beginning. Never being properly introduced. I mean doing that we instantly we went to bad turns. Shall we start over?" Lily ended in a questioning glare. James starred for a moment and after a thought grinned and sighed. "Sure" he mumbled. "So we can just forget about the incident on the train? I feel kinda bad about it" James admitted giving a relieved smile. "Don't worry apology accepted" Lily said with a smirk.   
  
"I wasn't apologizing! I didn't do anything!"  
  
"Yes you did you tripped me!"  
  
James laughed. The woman never stopped. "I did not! You ran over me!"   
  
Lily's face was bright red her anger uncontrollable at this point. "You were deliberately in my way!!!" she sceerched. James stood up ignoring the stares and the librarians harsh face. "I was tying my freakin shoe!" and with that he slammed the book and stomped away.   
  
"Thats... my quill!" Lily growled childishly stamping her feet. It was true. James was playing with Lily's hawk quill. James clomped back and threw it on the table. "Here" he spat and stomped away. "Thank you!" Lily called fiercely wanting to have the last word in this fight. James starred at her. He was planning to make a very witty comeback but to his surprise his mind became blank. He stood a minute gaping like a fish. and then in a flourish left.  
  
AN: Big babies I think. Big Babies who don't see the obvouis is how this story is going to be like. The whole Sirius and Cristina thing will get more obvouis in the plot. And yes I have a plot. Which is actually amazing cuze I usually don't. Reviw Review Review.... pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee? 


	2. Chapter 2: The Beginning that changed al...

Pistol  
  
by: MerlinsApprentince  
  
***  
  
A/N: 2nd Chapter.... What a surprise I usually don't do this kinda chapter things...The plot is being made known now... Muwhahahaahahahahahahaha *shurgs* Oh well... enjoy!!!! *glomps new marshmallow fluff mummy bought*  
  
Disclaimer: Nope not mine. Uh Uh. Neber Ever. *sniff sniff*  
  
***  
  
Lily was in a rage as she hopped into the common room full of younger students. Even after an hour of trying to reconcile with the idiot which totally blew back into her face. Why did he have to start this all over again? At the thoughts Lily's temper rose quickly and she closed her eyes rubbing Malley's fur more roughly then she intended. Hissing her black fur gleaming she jumped off her lap and with a disdainful look sauntered off. "Great! Now even you won't listen to my complaints Malley!" Lily called back to the cat throwing her Transfiguration work on the ground and flopped onto her bed. This was the first time she was considering skipping her classes.  
  
She could fake ill. She always worked at home, when she didn't want to eat Grandma's Beef Stew. It was sounding like a good idea especially since she didn't want to run into Potter. Both of them were stubborn and it would take a miracle for both of them -even one of them- to apologize. And running into Clem or Sirius could prove fatal. She could burst with what she found out any time now in this condition. Silently Lily headed down the steps and eyed the common room. Ah, yes no one would suspect that Lily Goody Two Shoes Evans was skipping class. Absurd.  
  
"Annie? I'm going to the restroom... I don't feel that well. If anyone comes for me tell them I'm sick" she stated to a Gryffindor 4th year who sat at the chess table.  
  
Annie looked up. "What?... Oh Ok Lil..." she said slowly her mind completely into the game.Lily could trust Annie not to remember a word she was saying right now, so if someone was looking for her no one would find her. But Lil would have someone to rely on if she was accused of skipping.   
  
Quietly she took off, leaving the common room heading down the long winding corridors. So many of them. But Lil knew which one she wanted to take.  
  
She wanted out of this school. Onto the grounds. Her robes swished with her hurried steps as she took another turn and found herself in the main hallway, the Hogwarts seal before her at the entrance of the Magic School. Lily sailed down the steps and was out of the school in a heartbeat. The fresh autumn air soothed her boiling nerves. It danced around her fiery flesh making her hair join along in the dance, tendrils flying here and there. The lawn was empty for most of the students were in their individual classes. On the left was the Greenhouses. She would go there to soothe herself to relax and there was no other way to relax other then being in a big pile of dirt that was at least knee deep. But Professor Sprout was conducting classes and she surely didn't want to get caught, by the teacher no less.   
  
So the Greenhouse was out of the question.  
  
She could go to her right where the lake and the squid layed. But Lily didn't really have a fondness for the school squid and she didn't like water, because she never learned how to swim. Finally Lily looked striaght forward. She could go visit the gamekeeper, Loki. He was awfully nice and certainly wouldn't turn her in. So it was decided. She would go relax with a talk from Loki. With the fresh air and the scent of the afternoon grass and the warm sunshine, Lily felt tons better already. It was probably being cooped up in classrooms and doing work that made her blow up like that. If she were her regular self she would have been much more curteous to Potter. It really wasn't his fault once you think about it. Might have been the case of having to be there at the wrong place at the wrong time. Still didn't cover that Potter was an obnixious, stubborn flirt who couldn't control his temper as much as she could. But they were going to have to get that project done and she wasn't going to do it all alone.  
  
Looks like Lily was going to have to apologize. All over again.  
  
Just without being stubborn mule that she was. While she headed down the grassy plain she saw something glitter in the corner of her eye. Lily turned her head and looked toward the Forbidden Forest. Thats where it had come from. She starred a moment longer and the flash of light - the glitter - came again.Something was being reflected in the light because it came at different points. Lily starred again becoming attracted to the tiny pinpoint of the brilliant glare. Maybe she could take a detour toward the Forbidden Forest. Lily was skipping class, why not do something else dangerous?  
  
Besides she wasn't planning to go all the way in. Just toward the edge. Thats where the light looked like it was anyways. She would just get whatever it was and then get out. Not a problem. Lily shurgged , pulling her loose tendrils into a messy ponytail and adventure gleaming in her eyes, heading in.  
  
***  
  
James sighed, every minute running his hands through his hair. That girl was impossible. A pistol, she was. He sighed as he paced inside the dormitory, infront of his bed. He didn't understand her one bit. They were so close and she had to ruin it!  
  
He sighed sitting down on the bed. Maybe she hadn't ruined the compromise. He was stubborn and wouldn't admit to apologizing. But it wasn't his fault! He had no idea she was coming around that corner. Not that he could blame her for blaming him. He was a likely suspect, the marvelous trickster he was. But he rather didn't like being a suspect for something he didn't do. And this Lily--- she wasn't an easy charmer. So he couldn't flirt his way out of the situation. She was smart.   
  
'Maybe you should just apologize---even though you didn't do it' a small voice in the back of his mind said. James frowned. Now why in the word would he want to do that? 'Because Mr.Potter one, you don't want to get an F in Transfiguration. Mcgonnagall would surely never let you forget it' the voice went on. 'And two...You like having someone who could fight back to your wonderful witty remarks' James frowned and even though one side of him was saying that it was bloody impossible but a small part of him said it was true. It was nice to have an challenge once and awhile. Sirius often challenged him to a witty game of sarcastic remarks but he was so predictable. Remus thought it stupid. Peter couldn't think of a halfway decent sentence in a challenge. And he knew no girls who would do that. So for a change it was nice.   
  
James shurgged. Well it was a possibilty. 'Thats right, James. Be a man. Say Sorry' the voice exchanged merrily. "Yeah Maybe later" he grunted silently giving in. And he really didn't want to get on Mcgonnagall's bad side this year. Last year He, Sirius, and Peter and snuck out to see Remus as a were wolf, and they were almost caught changing into animals. Mcgonnagall was still mad, blasted taking a bunch of housepoints away from what he won in the qudditch game that year. James took a sigh and layed down in a flop. Instead of feeling his head hit the soft mattress he felt solid firmness. "Ah!" he exclaimed rubbing the back of his head in pain. Where his head was so convientantly layed a few of his textbooks. He saw that instead of having one he had 2 transfiguration books. He took the one on top and opened it. In neat headwriting where it said "This book belongs to: " was Lily Evans. 'Ha you have an excuse now!' the little voice in his head taunted in a sing songy voice. "Would you just shut up?" James hissed slamming the book and and stood up. No matter how much he hated that little voice, it had a point. He had a excuse to slip in and apologize... despite that he didn't do anything. "Well its worth a shot..." he muttured taking the dogeared book and headed out the boys dormitory.  
  
***  
  
Lily looked through the branches and trees. It really wasn't all that bad once you went in. She heard about detentions where Flinch the caretaker would have people go out to the Forbidden Forest do clean up. They came back alive. And all she was planning to do was get that necklace or bracelet or whatever it was out there and come right back and go see Loki. It was going to be swift and easy.  
  
The forest smelt damp and murky like an old attic that hadn't had any fresh air. The sun instantly blocked out once she furthered in and big trees stood around her. A million little twitches and noises made Lily's head turn. The forest was far from empty. The chittering of squrriels and other rodents, the buzzing of the insects, and sometimes the cracking of twigs and sticks of rather larger animals then expected. Softly she stepped around the large roots of the immense trees and turned around trying to not get her already worn robe torn to bits. Thinking she was probably going to have to go to Diagon Alley soon.   
  
Suddenly another bright reflection caught her eye. "Aha" Lily whispered taking a giant step over a abnormally huge root. The whatever -it- was was just around the corner. Taking a few more giant strides she turned. She swear she saw the blinking here... Lily took another little step to the right searching all around and suddenly lost her foot hold.   
  
"Ahhhhhh!"  
  
Lily slid down a small crevice that was unseen in the dark of the woods, slipping and yelling piercing the silence that had haunted the forest for quite some time. As the ride ended she found herself on the bottom of the hill decorated with leafs in her hair and dirt digging into her cloak. "Great" Lily hissed standing up shaking the leaves from her red hair and dirt from her cloak. "Couldn't get any worse" she mumbled looking up at the long ride she took to get down here. It was like someone dug a huge hole and this was one of the sides to it. Turning furouisly hoping to find another way out Lily found that she had stepped on something. Lifting her foot she revealed what she was looking for.  
  
"Ah here you are" she whispered scooping up necklace, amongst the dirt and leaves. It was a simple necklace, a simple silver string and hanging from it was a tiny gem incircled with silver. Lily frowned trying to dechipher the color of the elegant jewel. There was someone colors incircled into. If you hold it one way it was gleaming like a sapphire, another it was a brilliant emerald, and then in a different diagonal its was red ruby. It was simple but took Lily's breath away. It was beautiful. Suddenly she had a strong feeling and silently run a finger down her smooth gem. It was so smooth. Suddenly at Lily's touch the gem erupted into a million pieces of blind white light shattering through the darkness of the forest breaking through the leaves.   
  
"Whoa"  
  
Stepping back quickly she dropped the necklace onto the ground and light disappeared. Lily stared at the gem. The Gem stared back. "It certainly is a beautiful gem isn't it?" a melodic voice asked and Lily jumped back slipping on the leaves landing on her back. From the shadows, were one second ago the light revealed was a field of trees, was a white figure like a horse but a large spiraling horn erupted from her forehead. Lily had heard mircalous tales about these creatures. Pure and Beautiful they were described as, as if visited by a dream. Drinking their blood gives you life, but death at the same time. Their hair was used in wands.   
  
Unicorns.  
  
Lily gaped at the Unicorn before her, standing galliantly her eyes twinkling with mischief. When she heard it talk it really wasn't speaking, Lily heard the unicorn's thoughts on the necklace through her mind. The Unicorn looked humored chuckling in thought. Lily hurriedly stood up not losing eye on the Unicorn. She hadn't learned anything about them if they were dangerous or not. She heard that when the wand makers fetched for a unicorn hair they ended up with serouis injuries. Fumbling in her robes she pulled out her wand, ready to defend herself. The unicorn took a quick step back at the sight of the weapon but still held a friendly twinkle in its eyes. "Now child there is no need to be frightened. Put the weapon done" it instructed firmly but still with a friendly note in hand. Lily starred still frightened in shock silently decided it was better to obey it then deny it. Silently she put it in the edge of her sleeve just incase she really needed to have a quick grab at it. "W-Who are you...?" she whispered softly edging back. "My name is Uniacolumouis but you humans can call me... Unia" she stated and bowed deeply her horn dropping elegantly. Lily stepped back looking at the glinting sharpness of the horn. "Um ... ok... I'm Lily.. .Lily Evans" with that unsure Lily bowed copying the unicorns acts. Unia chuckled softly at Lily's nervousness.  
  
"Do you go to Hogwarts my dear?" she asked softly eyeing the firghtened 6th year. Lily knodded softly forgotting the necklace that she had dropped and attracted the young unicorn. "Yes" she explained quietly eyeing any means of escape. Unia just chuckled softly. "My dear there is no need to be frightened. I was brought by the light." And with her majestic horn she knudged to the forgotten object on the floor.  
  
Lily looked down and instantly remembered the necklace she found abadoned in the valley of leaves and dirt. She had bouts of memory and remembered that when she had touched it brilliant light spilled from its core. Lily frowned looking back up at the unicorn removing a strand of red hair. "The light??? I mean... Did I.... Did I....?" Unia gave a smile, or what a smile would look like on a unicorn. "The necklace has found a new mate Mylady" she explained looking down at the elegant necklace. "What excatly is it I mean? And why did the light break out?" Questions suddenly burst through Lily and she wanted answers for all of them.   
  
"Maybe you should take it before it dirties my dear"   
  
Lily stopped and without any word, picked up the elegant jewelry wiping the few leaves and dirt clogs that decided to hang. Looking at it Lily found herself unlatching the lock and putting it safely around her neck. "It is a beautiful suitor for you" the unicorn whispered with delicacy as she eyed the dormant gem. Lily looked up all resentment and unsureness forgotten. "What do you mean the necklace has found its mate?"  
  
Unia shurgged. "The necklace can not just belong to anybody. It chooses who it wishes to reside to. The jewelry is more then a piece of jewelry. This necklace is a life. A power. Quite mysterious actually"  
  
Lily frowned as she played around the smooth ness of the gem. "Why was it in the Forbidden Forest though? I mean its so beautiful---""   
  
"But dangerous"   
  
The young girl stopped talking as she let the gem fall from her grasp and land with a loud thud on her chest.   
  
Suddenly in amazement Lily stepped back as the forest was broken with a million brilliant strands of light emitting from the bright gem and is flashed and suddenly to her horror sink into her flesh. It was glowing and pushing Lily's skin apart digging itself into her body , into her heart. Lily gasped but hadn't felt the slightest inch of pain anywhere on her body. Forcing itself tightly suddenly the light flashed off and breathing heavily Lily thurst forward as the necklace--or whatever it was-- made a rightful home in her body.  
  
Unia watched it all with fascination but without a hint of surprise or horror like Lily's own face betrayed."What.... What just happened?" Lily stuttered after a moment of regaining her compusure her hand still resting lightly over her heart. "The necklace is now one with you. You have its powers and it has your ability of your human body whenever it feels the need"   
  
"Control? Now wait a minute what do you mean control---" but once again Lily was broken off. That seemed to be happening alot today. It would be a miracle if she could ever finish a sentence. But Lily had a good reason to stop talking. Suddenly she felt something hot breath down her neck.  
  
"Light..... the light!!!!"  
  
Lily suddenly jumped back her hearts beat raising fast in pace. Standing not far from her and Unia was a ragged disformed creature something limp and horried beyond all reasoning. What strands of hair it had left was clinging to his bald head and its white pale eyes, pale milk white eyes starred quietly at Lily. A cloak was held around his body that was on all fours leaning forward his nose sniffing loudly. "The light... i smell it.... the beautiful light...." it hissed his voice sounding like a nail across the blackboard but it broke with sometimes a sandy raspy voice ((A/N: Think Gollum except larger with a cloak and blind eyes )) . Lily watched horror feeling all emotion inside of her as she fumbled for the wand in her sleeve. With her luck it had fallen out when the gem inclosed into her and it was hidden amongst the leaves and broken branches were she had stood before. "Oh no Oh no no no" she muttured swiftly searching frantically in her sleeve trying desperately to stay ahold of her sanity and control.  
  
But so far it wasn't working.   
  
"Oh no!" she cried in dispair her eyes never leaving the creature as she bent down in hope of finding the wand on the ground. "The light" whatever it was hissed loudly as it suddenly leapt with surpising speed and agility despite his deformed back the ragged bumps of his spine seen visible through the tattered cloak. "Ohh!!!" Lily cried as she jumped back and Unia stepped forward her horn glaring brightly in hopes of scaring it off. But it advanced despite the desperate hissing for the light. Lily hide dutifully behind the Unicorn's huge silken body. "What is that thing?!" she exclaimed loudly all her disgust poured into those few words. Unia leaped forward horn up as she took a lunge upon It who hung from the trees in the soft darkness of the forest.  
  
"Light... must get light....master.... master needs light!!!!"  
  
Lily was pulled away suddenly feeling something wrap tightly around her ankle. Something wet slimy and at the sametime scaly and dry. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"she scearmed as she landed painfully on the floor slamming herself down sharply as it yanked sharply on her ankle. "Unia!!!" she exclaimed frantically grabbing tightly to anything leaves dirt broken branches. "Unia!'  
  
  
  
The unicorn turned around sharply unsure. The shadow was throwing from branch to branch before her taunting the confused Unia and something was still pulling Lily deeper and deeper into the forest.   
  
The grasp around Lily's leg tighten and she scearmed loud and clear breaking all silence and sound in the forest and school.   
  
***  
  
James silently held the two transfiguration books together and headed down the common room steps. All his classmates were still working on that packet that Lily was hiding somewhere. All the students in the common room were ethier younger then him or a few could have been older.   
  
Searching around he tried to look for any friends she might have known and relied on to tell where she went. It wasn't very hard. Even though he felt guilty about admitting it the girl wasn't at all that friendly. Scanning the room with his brillliant green stare, he saw no Clementine or Lady but did see Annie a person he saw Lily talk to frequently. He pulled himself all the way down the steps and hurried through the crowd to Annie , a small mouse like girl with large glasses and ratty brown hair. "Hey girl" he called out softly and landed next to her on the gryffindor couch looking at the game she was hypnotized in. "Hmm?"  
  
  
  
"Hi, I um I'm looking for Lily Evans. Do you have any idea where she might be?"   
  
Annie looked up from her knowledgeable stare at the chess board. "Yes. Bathroom. Sick" James sighed. He knew somehow that it was a lie. Lily didn't look the least bit sick or tired but rather quite the opposite she was hot and agiatated. He sighed raising his eyebrows. "Well... thanks then" he stated slowly raising up and headed out of the common room. He was going to have to search for her himself holding the Transfiguartion books under his arms.   
  
  
  
"Great this is going to be fun" James muttured blowing a raven lock away from his face and headed around the corner and stocked out the library. No red head. Silently he turned around and headed towards the girl's restroom. Maybe she did have to suddenly go to the bathroom?  
  
" 'Scuse me do you mind?" he asked a small girl who looked like she was in her 2nd year with white blonde hair held into a ponytail and brown eyes. "Yes?" she mummured with a slight itialian accent looking up slightly confused. "Do you mind going into the bathroom and...?"  
  
At that excat moment (everyone must have had problems finishing their sentences) when a scream broke out into the silent school ringing against all the students ears. Everyone pretty much ignored it, for a scream was hardly unusal especially when it came from the Forbidden Forest, but when James heard it echo throughout the long hallways he jumped with familiarity. "Lily?" he asked himself and checking for his wand he hurried out the front steps the 2nd year at his heels.  
  
"Lily!!!" he called out into the empty courtyard, no students outside as the small girl hurried down the steps and headed toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest. "It's coming from here" she exclaimed hurrying over to the edge. James watched with a weary eye and a crazy mind. "Are you mad? Thats the Forbidden Forest!!?" he exclaimed shaking his head. The little girl sighed half his height but with more courage then James could muster. "Someone's in trouble and I'm going to help" she stated pulling out a thin wand from her sleeve and hurried into the barren as another scearm and a shake of the trees interuppted his thoughts.  
  
James sighed shaking his head and without another thought followed the girl. He wasn't going to let Lily's life, and a innocent young girl's go down the drain by whatever was attacking Lily in the forest. He pulled out his own wand and grabbed the girl sharply from her tiny shoulder. "Wait" he muttured quietly taking on some responsibilities. "We don't know whats out there"  
  
  
  
Another scream shook the silent forest. "We know a girls in trouble. Come on!!!" she exclaimed taking James's sleeve and pulled him through the woods searching. "I hear her... we sound close... but I dont see her anywhere" James concluded circling around making his eyesight go as far as it would. The girl sighed blowing a small tendril from her face. "HELLO?!" she called loudly out into the wilderness in hopes someone would echo back.  
  
  
  
"Help me!!!!" Lily's voice called back from their left. "This way" James said sharply. "I know I'm not stupid" the girl teased with a stone face as she followed after him, right behind his heels. As they headed farther into the forest, James suddenly felt his footing loose and he tumbled down the small crevice Lily had just found a few minutes earlier.  
  
In instinct he had pulled onto the girl's sleeve and following after him the two tumbled down the crevice wall in a bundle of robes,leaves, and human body parts. "Oh bother" the young woman exclaimed standing up wand posed in mid air. To her amazement, and James as well once he had pulled his compusure together, saw a unicorn standing bravely apart her horn glimmering in what sunnlight could be found in the forest.   
  
"Bloody amazing" James mummured and turned around where he heard Lily's cries. She was on the floor grappling around for something to hold onto something in the shadows yanking her ankle pulling her deeper into the forest.  
  
Whatever it was, it was strong with a raspy hard voice mutturing the same things over again. The Unicorn had noticed and kept starring back at the girl on the floor. But the horse with the horn had her own battle. Up in the trees was a small monkey looking thing up in the trees dancing from branch to branch and time from time threathing to jump onto the ground and come wrestle with the 2 new humans who had come to the rescue.  
  
"Lily!" James exclaimed in shock hurrying over and tightly clasped down on her in hopes to stop the thing from pulling her farther from safety. "James what the hell are you doing here?!" she cried loudly trying forcefully to pull her ankle from the disgusting grasp of the whatever it was. "Oh well its nice to see you too!" James cried back pulling backwards playing tug of war.   
  
"Hey!" he called to the 2nd year who was standing awkwardly in the corner and knodded his head over. She came in a heartbeat. "Listen if I let Lily go---"   
  
"Which I wish you would do I hardly feel the lest bit comfortable with you holding me by my waist!"  
  
" --this thing will drag her into the forest.... try and scare it off will ya?" James cried over the bustle ignoring Lily's sarcastic comment. The girl knodded and pulled her wand out and mumbling a word shot a bright patch of light at the creature.   
  
"Argh!!!!" it cried in a raspy gasp and loosening his grip Lily gave another strong pull and her ankle was free. "Ha!" Lily cried pushing James and her back before he could regain himself quickly and hook her back. The thing danced around in pain, the light clearly something that it dreaded but needed at the same time. The 2nd year old yelped in surprise never really caused any pain to anything especially a human being---or whatever it was--- and pulled her wand back.   
  
"Help her you idiot!" Lily exclaimed pushing James back releasing herself from his grasp as she searched the ground for her wand. James sighed. "Your welcome for saving you freaking life" he cried back raising both his eyebrows exasperated. Lily sighed pushing him away as she dug through the leaves in search for her twig.  
  
"Exclamuruim!" the 2nd year cried as she tagged another spell at the wrinkled nasty creature bright light illuminating the darkness as the thing failed his bent gray pale arms out clutching his hollowed blind eyes.   
  
"AAAAAAAHH! NOoooo! The light!... The light!!!" he whimpered clutching his head screaming in horried pain, ending in spinning circles looking for a way to retreat. "Not so fast buddy" James cried as he held his wand out and mummured a spell that had ropes flying from his wand. The creature noticed the ropes instantly and screamed loudly a loud ringing in the students ears and suddenly with that the creature was gone.  
  
And the shadow on the trees and vines the one that Unia was keeping bay suddenly vanished along with the loud petrified scearm that was certainly going to haunt the younger students for the rest of their lifes. Breathing heavily Lily arised wand in hand. "Whered he go?" she mummured to James searching wearily around.   
  
  
  
"I think he's gone" the 2nd year whispered her face dirtied and her smooth white blonde hair full of leaves. Unia looked at the 3 students. "You should get out of here" she whispered silently without moving her unicorn lips. Lily sighed looking at the Unicorn who had been her friend for only a few minutes. "Unia---" she muttured silently.  
  
"I won't tell if you won't" the Unicorn finally stated looking directly at the top of her chest where minutes ago something had latched herself into her. Lily layed her hand over it and knodded. "Come back to me on the 4th moon... I will watch for you" Unia stated bowing lowly to all three had headed into the forest. James wrinkled his nose. "What does she mean the 4th moon? And won't tell what? And what the hell was that thing?"   
  
Lily sighed pushing him away and headed steadily up the crevice wall. "It's nothing" she muttured her eyes cloudy her mind racking through her knowledge in hope to find something about anything that had happened in the last half an hour. The tiny 2nd year watched the two and looked around following Lily leaving James. "Fine don't answer me" he sighed following after the two in a hurry not happy to be alone in the Forbidden Forest.   
  
Finally Lily felt the sunlight touch her skin feeling it slightly make her skin tingle with that wonderful feeling. She had almost had the dread of never seeing daylight again. If James and that little girl hadn't heard her she would have been taken by that thing and who knows what would have happened. She guessed James wasn't an idiot sometimes.  
  
"Hey" she whispered pulling James and the girl back who were walking ahead of her. "Thanks... for helping me back there... Who really knows what would have happened if you guys didn't come and help me" she forced out looking down at the lush well fed Hogwart's grass. Lily was never really used to being helped by, she was the person who was helped somebody. So she wasn't very good at giving thank yous. Something the Great Lily really needed to work on.   
  
James laughed finding the comical side of the situation. He knew he was never going to see Lily give another thank you again so he relished it, the forced face and the glaring emerald eyes. "Don't worry about it. Just a way to get back from tripping you" he shurgged and the small girl smilied quietly. James turned toward her. "Well we were never properly introduced. I'm James Potter and this is Lily Evans of Gryffindor and who might you be?" James said feeling a bit rude and stupid to not know the girls name.  
  
"Cicily Vanbouren" she said with another grin. "I know already who you are" she said with a quiet shurg brushing a few leaves out of her hair. "Thanks for your help Cicily" Lily grumbled smoothing down her dirtied school skirt wrinkling her nose but still gave a smile. Cicily laughed. "Don't worry about it" she said saying excatly the same thing James had said earlier. The three starred at her awkwardly at one another for awhile and finally James cleared his throat. "Well we should be heading inside now---"  
  
"Mr. Potter!!!"  
  
The deep commanding voice stopped the trio in their tracks. "Oh dear god" Lily mumbled closing her eyes not willing to turn around and see the glaring seething Professor Mcgonnagall, Professor Hatch, the potions teacher, and Professor Sprout for Herbology at her heels. All three had the same angry yet relieved look on their faces. "Oh Shit" James mummured quietly plastering a grin on his face as Cicily turned pale. "Well Well Well" the Professor stated looking at the 2 guilty faces and one that looked all too cheerful.   
  
"Why hello Professor Mcgonnagall! What a surprise to see you out and about out of the castle" James said with a cheerful liesurely tone bouncing on the foot of his heels. Lily sighed placing her head in her hand. "Mr.Potter I was certain but Ms.Evans and Ms.Vanbouren I am quite surprised..."  
  
"Well see Professor Lily here..."  
  
"We found her... and a noise"  
  
"And please Professor don't"  
  
Cicily and James rattled on false accuses until Lily rolled her eyes and stood up to their defense. "Professor they didn't do a thing" Cicily watched with a interesting glance and James face gaped. 2 shoes Lily was taking the blame on purpose? And James had a perfectly good alibi for all three of them. Shame. "I skipped class after me and James had another fight and deliberately went to the Forbidden Forest. Cicily and James followed me after I scearmed from falling down a crevice"   
  
And that was only half the story...  
  
Professor Mcgonnagall listened to this with amazement. Her top student was breaking the rules and just walking into forests that were forbidden. How the world was changing. "Well then... Ms.Evans you will have a week of detention. Mr.Potter, Ms.Vanbouren you shall do a days detention for just running out and not retrieveing a teacher at least. Mr.Potter and you shouldn't have at least some sense not to bring on Ms.Vanbouren into such trouble."  
  
"But Professor I--" Cicily protested but Lily elbowed the small girl to silence. It was better that the teachers thought she didn't do anything for Cicily's sake. "All three of you will go to Flinch's office after classes today and whatever he has assigned who will be to do... Now please head back to class and due stay out of trouble" Professor Mcgonnagall sighed rubbing her temples as she stalked away the other two hardly leaving her two heels.   
  
James sighed crossing his arms. "Great... Just great. I save a life and what to I get in return? Detention. How superbly beautiful" Lily shook her head a slight smile on her face at his tone. "Funny Potter. C'mon lets go back inside before the Headmaster finds out were on grounds during class, then think of the trouble we'll be in"  
  
***  
  
A/N: Ahhh yes the plot thickens *in raspy chuckling voice stands over a cauldron and whatches it thicken with my words* Yes... Yes!!!! Review my preciouses review to your hearts contentttttttt..........................  
  
Thank you and Have a nice day.  
  
~MerlinsApprentince 


	3. Chapter 3: The detention

Pistol  
  
By: MerlinsApprentince  
  
***  
  
A/N: Holy Toledo another chapter!!!! Whoopdedoo!!!! I'm a big kid now....  
  
Disclaimer: Please... must I do this? *Junebug knods pleasure in his littles eyes* I hate you Junebug. Harry Potter etc isn't mine but guess what? My marshmallow fluff's mine!!! Yum Yum Yum...  
  
***  
  
Lily starred at the book before her. Unicorns and the Horns by Thelma Saidar. Flipping through it after classes hadn't help clear her mind much at all these last few days. Quietly the Gryffindor fire crackling merrily before her she skimmed the last page and sighed. Nothing about Unia. And she had checked out a million books on magical jewelry and the necklace Lily found was absolutely no where. She was lost in the dark.   
  
"Hey Evans" James's voice called breaking her thought process. Closing her eyes, silently she wished for him to go away. All she needed was another blow up with him. Even after their little truce, with him saving her life and all, Lily couldn't find the guts to be nice to him. He was so gullible.  
  
James came up behind her leaning down from the couch, Cicily, at his side. Lily and Cicily had become good friends now, and she hadn't mind talking to her. "What Potter? I'm kinda busy at the moment..." Lily grumbled now very agitated. She had been searching all day through Hogwart's library and couldn't find a single thing on anything they encountered two weeks ago.  
  
James eyed her. He could see she was tense. He sighed shaking his head sending his raven locks flying. "Don't worry I won't take much of your precious time" he stated rolling his emerald eyes. "Good" Lily responded throwing the book into the big pile she was creating. James stuck his hands in his pockets and came and sat in the big armchair. "Detention"   
  
Lily winced. She was going to have to have her first detention tonight. She had forgotten. "When and where?" she questioned her voice telling the two that she was not in a pleasent mood. James was actually afriad to tell her. Cicily took it upon herself to do that. "You and James have to do detention with the potions master, well I help Hagrid with the school's garden. Without magic. And it's tonight, after our last class" she informed gloomily starring at her pretty white wand.  
  
Lily gaped. She had James in all her classes, her house, and now detention?! And she wouldn't even have Cicily to help her control herself. And she was doing so well too. "Oh dear" she grumbled quietly her mood going from bad to worse. Detention with James, Homework piling painfully, and she was still so confused and in the dark about that locket.   
  
As her attention wandered she felt a tiny pain twinge in her chest excatly where the odd gem shoved itself into. Lily sighed wincing. Ever since that she felt odd chest pains every once in awhile. Nobody else knew about the gem except her and the unicorn she knew for a little time in the Forbidden Forest. Cicily and James came only a bit after it had came, so they hadn't a clue of her odd behavior in no longer wearing anymore jewlery in fear that that would suck inside her too.  
  
James watched her face and frowned when he saw it distort into pain. "Hey Evans you ok?" he asked a tint of worry in his voice he didn't intend for it to be there. Lily starred and him quizzically and shook her head. "Yeah... Yeah I'm fine. Absolutely perfectly fine"  
  
***  
  
Lily felt herself drop the extra books she was carrying onto her transfiguration desk, exhaustion overtaking her body systems. It was way to late at night to do any detention. Too late. Why couldn't she go to sleep instead? Yes... Sleep sounded good now... extrememly good...  
  
"Evans don't fall asleep on me" James warned watching her doze off for a minute and then back on again. Lily gave him a glare. "I can doze if I want to" she protested, yawning loudly as the two walked out on their way to the dugeons. "Whats with all this staying up late stuff? I thought Good Girls went to sleep early...?" the raven haired boy questioned fixing his robe as they walked.  
  
Lily shook her head, slowly trying to wake up. "Not that its any of your business, I've been trying to do some work on that creature we found in that library... That nasty ugly man thing..." James winced at the memory. "Yeah, I know what your talking about..." he said reluctantly as he pictured the grostesque slimy dry figure in his mind. "Have you found any information on it?"  
  
Lily shook her head furiously as they headed down the steps. "Not a thing on what it was. I'd like to think it was a human at one point or another, but it only has the characteristics... it looked so inhuman, but human at the same time" she emphasized by holding her hands out and acted like they were weighing them both. "I just don't get it" James listened quietly and then slowly asked a question that was nagging him on and on. "And you haven't told a professor this? I mean you lied to them earlier, but I swore, I'd think that you'd go back and tell the truth to get yourself out of detention..."  
  
Lily looked sharply up at him. "I did it for my reasons. I'd rather not have the Headmaster squirm all over the forest and make Unia's life a living hell. We've already ruined her life, I don't want to make it any worse. And I'm sure that creature won't come back anymore. It was just at the wrong place and the wrong time situation" James raised a black eyebrow. She sounded so certain, but he surely had his doubts. At the time, that thing was consisently asking for the light. It wasnt a coincedence. He was here for something. James knew that.  
  
"I don't think so" he countered back stubbornly. "He was their for a purpose I think" Lily rolled her eyes sharply turning a corner, making James stop and sidetrack in confusion. "I'm sure you think something the opposite of what I do, but considering your thoughts is something I don't do" she stated simply. James gave her a look. "You know you could at least pretend you didn't hate me!" he exclaimed crossing his arms.   
  
Lily gave him a smug smile. "No, thats ok. I'm having way to much fun with this"   
  
Trekking down a few more stairs in silence they came to Professor Highlick's classroom. He had to be the blandest teacher that Hogwarts had ever had, after Professor Binns the Hogwarts Historian. Lily sighed thinking of all the long boring detention he of all people could assign to us.  
  
"Probably washing his stone desks with toothbrushes" Lily muttured under her breath as the two came through the large wooden door. Inside however it was empty. The classes desk were neat and clean, and the teacher's desk was empty. James and Lily both frowned in unison, looking about for the missing Mr.Highlick. "I thought you said he was our detetion-ist" Lily exclaimed looking to the torches at the side of the dugeons.  
  
James bit his lip. "He is" he replied racking his hands through his hair. "I swear, Professor Mcgonnagall told me that. Cicily can back me up on that too" Lily frowned contemplating if he had indeed made a mistake. "Well, maybe Professor Highlick forgot" she wondered aloud, playing with a red tendril that had fallen from her ponytail.   
  
"Professor wouldn't forget. You know how much fun he finds detentions..." James grunted. He should know. He had been through enough with the potion's master. Lily bit her lip. "Should we go back up to Mcgonnagall's and see if we can figure this out? Maybe we can get her to lay us off...." she thought throughly in hopes. "We are well... smart students. She favors me. And maybe you can butter her up a bit..."  
  
James snorted at the thought of 'buttering up' Professor Mcgonnagall. "Been there, done that" he stated, shrugging as if it wasn't a problem. "So we'll go back up? Sorry, but I can't stand of being alone in these damp disgusting dugeons..." the young women mummured, wincing. James frowned. "Hey, I'm here" he countered back a manly tone in his voice. "You, Potter, don't count, needless to say your a kid like me. I'm talking about an highly edcauted adult. Like a Professor prehaps..." she teased rolling her emerald eyes at the man's stupidity.  
  
James made mocking faces at her back, as he stooped down to get his bag. "Alright then lets just go before we end up killing ourselves" he stated simply as if he had been through a sitaution like this. Lily wouldn't have been surprised. Not every girl found him adorable and sexy. She was throughly surprised someone hadn't commited suicide when talking to him.  
  
Lily gathered her bookbag strewning it over her shoulders, as she and James headed back up the rocky steps. The torches flickered reluctantly as they headed up slowly. "You think he could be in one of the other rooms?" Lily questioned herself and James as she starred at the old rotting wooden doors the students were forbidden to touch. "I see him go in them all the time. Maybe he forgot about it. He may have a very good reason, and we can get him in the room---"  
  
" Do you want to get detention?" Potter asked with a ludicrous smile. Lily looked up confused. "What? No, I don't" she stated honestly. James rolled his emerald eyes. "Then shut your mouth and keep moving. At this rate, Mcgonnagall won't be able to assign us a new one, and we'll be doing it later. If we're even luckier she'll prolong it and forget all about" Lily listened to the words, thinking that it. It was true, but it seemed so wrong at the same time.   
  
"I...I don't know. We've been pushing our luck at going into the Forbidden Forest and lieing to the teacher..." James laughed madly looking back at her. "We? Whats this we? YOU ran into the forest, me and Cicily went after you because of your distress, and you lied to the teacher. I had a perfect setup but your the one who thought to lie not me..." Lily looked up distressed. "Me? Me?! Listen, buster, your lie wouldn't have gotten us nowhere she is so use to you! You've probably used that same lie with her once and hardly knew about it!!"   
  
James frowned biting his lip. He was certainly not going to admit she was correct. He was planning to use the same hoax he used when he, Sirius, and Remus had decided it was time to pay the houselves a small visit. They had just brought a couple snacks along with them. "No! I wasn't!" he shot back almost pitifully. Lily rolled her eyes shaking her head. This was getting stupid.  
  
"Look. Just forget it. I'm going back to the common room. I found another book that could be helpful, and I wanna read a few chapters before I get to bed" she muttured as she came to the Hogwarts hallway, the dampness and stinky stench gone. James knodded finding no reason to go on with their little fights. "Your right. I've got a bit a homework to touch on as well" Lily had a really good comeback for that, but silently kept it to herself.  
  
Lily starred quietly at the barren dugeon. They just made it to the staircase in silence which was pretty much an accomplishment for the two. It was hard for James to keep his big mouth shut and for Lily to not make a sarcastic comment was a miracle.   
  
She silently clutched her books to her chest never noticing how disgusting the dugeon steps were.Have they ever noticed how dusty and dirty they were? Starring at them for excatly 3 minutes striaght showed her how much this castle was seriously neglected. Didn't anybody care?They had to teach here and students actually boarded here for a year in this filthy dugeon.  
  
Blah dust and dirt everywhere....  
  
Boo  
  
Lily jumped quickly her books and papers falling into that dusty dugeon floor. She flipped quickly her emerald eyes searching through the flickering shadows of the hallway. Her heartbeat instantly quickened with fear, and her chest ached unbearably. James frowned turning back to stare at her.   
  
He was just a few steps ahead of her, and the papaers were scattered at his feet. "Evans?" he questioned eyes looking at her frightened face. Lily turned back to stare at him with those haunted eyes and drawn in pale cheeks. "What?" she asked her usual cockiness gone replaaced with a high pitched squeak. It was the voice she had used in the Forbidden Forest that had echoed throughout the castle and ringed in his and Cicily's ears.  
  
"Whats going on?" he asked. "Nothing, Nothing" she insisted putting her red tendrils beind her ears and quickly bent down to pick up her mess. Her heartbeat returned to normal after a moment or two of silence. And from the confused and superior look on James's face the jerk hadn't heard the voice or whatever it was she heard. It must have been a figment of her imagination.  
  
Yup it had to be. Why would she, Lily Evans, be hearing voices? In the dugeon? I mean, c'mon, just because she found a talking unicorn, a necklace that was stuck somewhere inside her freakin body didn't mean quite anything....  
  
Scared aren't we?   
  
"Oh god!" she jumped quickly, and watched James go quickly for the wand in his robe. Even though Lily wasn't excatly his fair lady he would still protect her, if it came to that point. The X chromosome. He couldn't help it. "That voice" Lily mummured and to James amazement watched her collect her cool quite quickly.   
  
She grabbed her wand out with a flick of her wrsit, drew her stuff to a pile and pulled herself together. The paleness disappeared from her face but her fear still layed in those eyes. "C'mon" she whispered grrabbing the end of his sleeve and pulled him away from the door. "Um... Evans what are you doing? Hearing stuff isn't excatly a good sign, and its something we run from, not go looking for!" James hissed as she yanked him farther and farther away from their only escape hatch.  
  
"Potter, do me a favor" Lily said with such a calm clarity, James once again faced another bout of amazement. One minute she's whimpering on the floor, the next she's macho woman. Geez. "What?" James asked almost tripping over the hidden steps she pulled him over to. "Shut it" the red head said simply and muttured "Lumos" to her wand.   
  
Lily had no idea what was really happening but after hearing that one voice everything went blank inside her. Her body and mind went on automatic. She sat in the passenger seat of her life. Someone else inside her was taking the wheel. "Look" Lily whispered approaching the wall. Lifting her wand, the light from the wand illuminating the dusty, hidden doorway.   
  
"Holy Crap" James whispered his jaw slacking from his third hit of surprise. "It's a door" Lily shook her head her fringers letting loose of his sleeve to roam the edges of the hidden doorway. "No duh, Sherlock. I betcha the voice is coming.... from... here...." she pulled the edge where it looked loose, sending dirt and cobwebs into choas, yanking the secert compartment open, large enough for her and big fellow, James to go through.   
  
Lily took a breath, the air lost from her efforts and wiped her dirty hands on her robes. "You know, maybe, this isn't such a good idea" James finally mustered starring at the huge opening in the wall. "I mean first your attacked by something in the forest. Our Potions Professor is missing. You hear voices. Then we find a hidden doorway? Ok, thats creepy. And we are in big enough trouble as it is ----"   
  
"Oh, Potter, your running away?" James instantly stopped talking, once those few innocent words left Lily Evans's mouth. "What?" he cried his temper boiling instantly. Lily put her hand on her small, bony, unattractive hips and raised an eyebrow. "Your scared arentcha?" she teased. "Oh, honey, your going to wish you've never said that" James muttured his eyes turning ice cold and took a giant step forward. "Your going to regret it sooo much" The look in those eyes made the girl take a small step backwards. "Then I guess... your going in with me right? I mean you not being scared and all?" she insisted desperately trying to keep eye contact.  
  
She didn't know why but she knew... she knew!... she had to have the upper hand in this situation. Something.. something in Lily's gut told her this was her first job and she was to take charge. To find out the mystery of this peep-hole. Which explains her once whimpy state gone and this daredevil taking it's place. If Lily Evans had no gut, if she was just skin, bones, and organs, hell she'd be bloody half across London by now. But her gut was was obviously the boss of her logic right now and it was telling her to lead both of them into that room.  
  
James kept the stare going and briefly whispered "Lumos". His wand flickered to life, the light strengthing around the trwo. "Yup. You know, because I'm not scared" he fought back and to show her Lily could just eat her words up headed into the hideaway first. Lily sighed reluctantly looking side to side and followed. The room was pitch black except for their wands floating aimlessly. The atmosphere thick and it was hard to breath so they left the door open. "Needs fresh air anyways" James muttured as he saw how dirty it was.  
  
If it was dusty on the steps it was the sahari in here. Dust piled atop each other on the furniture in the room and all in the air. The room was circular like alot of the common rooms in Hogwarts. It was wide too, large and spacious. Furniture lay empty hidden under white bedsheets. Rugs and carpets were barely seen from the trash and the once blooming flowers in the vases surrounding the room were dead and brown. "Whoa" Lily finally whispered her gaze searching the room in smiles.  
  
"This place is brilliant! Look at it! It's like a common room forgotten! You think thats it? Huh? Maybe..." James shut Lily off in his mind, as she rattled on and wandered over to the edge of the room. Everything was intact. It was kind of weird, why would someone just abadon a perfectly good room? Something had to be wrong with it or... James sighed shaking his head of his thought. Now he remembered why he didn't like thinking now. That it just got way out of hand.   
  
"Lily, is it just me or is this just alittle bit weird?" he questioned looking around. Lilly turned to stare at him. Wow. This was a first. He used her first name. Hmmm. "Yeah, I guess, your right..." she reluctantly gave in giving a last quick peek around and took his sleeve again. "Lets go and get Mcgonnagall"  
  
Running away now are we?  
  
Lily jumped flipping around quickly and ran. James blinked watching her suddenley run up the staircase seen above them. "Evans! Evans are you crazy, what are you doing?! The stairs could collaspe any minute...." he exclaimed screwing the whispering and with a hiestating step followed the slightly derganed Grffyindor girl up the staircase. Lily didn't answer her breathing rapid and short her eyes wild and frantic. She came to the second floor of the forgotten room, her head turning sharply to her right.   
  
"Bloody heel, Evans, whats going on???" James gave another feeble attempt at connection with the girl, trying desperately to keep up with her. Lily's pace was even and fast as if someone else was leading her there to where ever her destination is. Lily felt her heartbeat race and she stopped in front of a closet door hidden almost completely by dust. But you could also some how tell it was disturbed. The lines of the door were clean as if someone had just openbed it. Handprints were on the dust.  
  
Large, spindly hands, the fingers twice as long as Lily's lean ones. She blinked her heartbeat jumping about thrice its orginial and she almost doubed over from the pain in her chest. Something was in here. Something she didn't want to see. The thing the striaght A student wanted to do was run away as far as possible from this door. As far as freackin possible. But Lily's feet were glued to the old wooden floor. Her legs wouldn't move away. She left herself on autoway to long and know she couldn't control herself.  
  
Her arm was raising without her order and dug her fingers into the cracks. "Another one? Man, thats not good. You should leave it alone" James argued watching over her shoulder, breathless. He didn't know why but he was alittle creeped out at the Ice Queen. How'd she know where the door to this place was anyways? And how'd she find another one?! And even though he had never talked to her until the train accident this year. he had a feeling Lily wasn't excatly the kind of girl who would do this. Go gallavanting into what looked like forbidden rooms in her school and whatnot.   
  
But Lily ignored him, using the most of her strength to pull open this new found door. "It's not hidden. It use to be a closet. Someone got rid of the handle" Lily grunted sending the dust in a flurry around the two. "Well maybe we shouldn't open closets that aren't closets anymore. Truth be told, I don't..." but he stopped talking when the young Evans girl dropped her wand with a loud piercing scream. The door was inching open slowly but surely showing a small crack. A crack big enough to slide a textbook and a half through.   
  
A crack bi enough for the foot of some poor human being to pop out, and reflect off the light of Lily's forlorn wand. "Oh my bloody god" James muttured as Lily let out another hysterical scream. The cool calm collected Lily Evans was suddenley gone replaced by the one James thought he knew. Her face paled, her eyes wide and frightened and the only thing she could do it seemed was scream.   
  
James felt like screaming in disgust and fright as well, but it was his turn to be the cool one. "Lily... Lily... Evans!!" he cried loudly breaking off her screams with a rough shake of her thin shoulders. Lily stopped her mouth closing her bottom lip trembling roughly. "Theres... t-there's a body... a body..." she whimpered threw her choatic stuttering her eyes turning shakily to the door and back to his face.  
  
Whoever controlled her for those few precious moments left her the minute that foot popped from the opening and let Lily the coward take her place, back in control. Which was the last thing Lily wanted to do. James sighed trying to keep his own wandering gaze away from the door. His heart was beating uncontrollably , and his throat kept clogging up desperately with vile as he kept thinking the fact that there was a body ... dead or not in the room with them. And the stench wafting throughout the room clearly distinguished that ethier it was decomposing or someone hadn't taken a bath in a few years.  
  
"Look, we need to get a teacher. Now. Ok? Don't go in shock alright? Ok, Evans?" Lily managed a weak knod and looked at her wand a inch away from the shoe that the deceased foot wore. She swallowed painfully and with a blink jumped for her wand and shot back up clumsily. She felt tears swim in her large eyes and she looked at James.  
  
"Let's go" she whispered and with that the two raced out of the room as fast as their feet would possibly allow them.  
  
***  
  
Whew....  
  
Thank You and Have A Nice Day  
  
~MerlinsApprentince 


	4. Chapter 4: Oh, dear

Pistol  
  
Chapter 4  
  
by:MerlinsApprentince  
  
***  
  
A/N: New chapter, new chapter. Ya'll know you have to be in your happy place. With your bubbles!!!!  
  
BUBBLES!!!!  
  
You all have to go see Finding Nemo right now. Or Dory will have to kill you with her mind boggling talking. And seriously ... don't make me get out the moose from Brother Bear. They... know... YOGA!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't have don't own.  
  
***  
  
The first thing Lily did when they came into the fresh air of the castle was go into the nearest girl's lavatory and vomited whatever she had for dinner into the tiolet. The smell of death stuck on her clothes and her face hands and robes were covered in filth. She starred into the mirror her face pale like chalk her eyes the only colorful thing on her face, round and wise as green saucers.  
  
  
  
She couldn't believe what happened. She had found a dead body. She didn;t know how she had did it but something pulled her to it. Lily flipped the faucet to the sink on, and furiously began washing her hands, cleaning them off roughly. That voice, it spoke to her three times. It was leading her to the closet. It was teasing her til she got to where it had wanted her.  
  
  
  
She sighed the smell of soap reaching her nostrils and quietly dried her hands on a towel. Maybe she should just stop thinking altogether. Be blank. Lots better. She sighed finally leaving the bathroom. James left to go see Professor Mcgonnagall and she was told to stay put. She waited, quietly starring down at her feet. Her stomach suddenley began to heave at the sight of her feet, and she shot her head back up looking striaght ahead.  
  
"Oh, poor dear. You look horrid. What in the world happened to you, child?" one of the paintings left of her questioned. Lily looked up to the friendly eyes of a young middle aged woman from the early 1800's dressed in a big poofy skirt. "Something that no one will believe" Lily whispered in reply and quietly turned the corner.   
  
Professor McGonnagall starred at Lily and James in her cap and pajamas. "Ms.Evans. Mr.Potter." she whispered in greeting and James and Lily lead her down to the dugeon.  
  
***  
  
"Oh my god, Oh my god, Oh my god" Lily repeated over and over as she and James were escorted back to their common rooms. James watched Lily's shock and breathed deeply sticking his hands in his pockets. He was just as shocked as she was, maybe even more. It was hard to comprehend excatly what he and the Ice Queen had found.  
  
... or more of 'who' they found...  
  
Almost as if he was sleepwalking James called upon Professor Mcgonnagall, who inturn seemed shocked to see him. He pulled her out of bed with urgency and practically dragged her to the dugeon. He and a heistate Lily showed her the trap door which even the Professor seemed a bit shocked about.  
  
And then when they showed her the closet.... she defainately was abit shocked about that too.She got even into a worser state when she saw the body. She called the Headmaster Dumbledore and the other teachers in a heartbeat and told the two 6th years to help her with the door. Lily pratically fainted and James was on the verge of suffocation when they actually saw who it was.  
  
"Professor Hatch" Professor McGonagall whispered in themost morbid tone James had ever heard her use, and Lily finally cracked into tears. So... thats where the Potions Professor was.  
  
The 2 were dragged away in a instant by the Head Boy and here they were, with the worst piece of news possible. "Evans, come on, relax" James croaked as Lily repeated her 46th 'Oh my gosh'. Lily shot him a look.   
  
"Relax?" she questioned trembling. "Relax?! We just found our Potions teacher dead! Mudered most likely! And I don't know how but I knew excatly where he was! Excatly where he was, Potter. Excatly. I don't know about you, but I'm not quite sure if I can get into the state of relaxtion!!!" she hissed roughly her voice high and squeaky when they approached the Fat Lady.   
  
They both said the password and the Head Boy left them. Only a few students were still up studying and what not but there eyes curiously flew straight to the dingy and dirty Gryffindor students. "Wow, that must have been some detention" Sirius whistled, coming up to James, giving him a sharp knudge on his elbow. James turned to his friend, his face sullen.   
  
"We need to talk" he said simply and just that simple notion sent Sirius into shivers.   
  
Lily left without a goodbye, heading up to the girl's corridor. James watched her leave and pulled Sirius to the side. He wouldn't also mind having Remus and Peter along but Remus was probably at a study session and Peter was no doubt, asleep, early as usual.   
  
"He's dead" he whispered furiously as they came to two empty armchairs abit far from the group of late night students. Sirius frowned. "Who?!"   
  
"Professor Hatch. Me and Evans... we were both... just walking from out detention and - - -"  
  
"Wait! Professor Hatch... he's dead?! What in the bloody world happened?" Sirius face paled, in complete and utter shock. James sighed, shaking his head. "I... I don't know. Don't know how, I don't know when, and I'm not quite sure why. He was murdered, Sirius! He was shoved into a closet in a hidden room, dead!" and with that vital piece of information he went on explaining all the foriegn and unknown pieces he had that created the spooky detention held that night.  
  
It took James a good hour to tell him. "It was so weird... it was like.... she knew excatly where these hidden doors were. It was so... just uneasy, you know?" Sirius listened with fascination at James's story. They sat in silence for a few minutes. "You think she killed him?" the schoolmate of the raven haired boy questioned his thoughts.  
  
James blinked, his eyes grazing the clean carpet of the floor of the Gryffindor common room. "I don't know. It's just.... no, I don't think so. Or if she did, she wasn't in her right mind. I mean when she was looking for the doors, it was like she changed into a whole different person" he shook his head starring at the fireplace a few feet away from them. The flames hungrily ate the wood at the base of it and jumped merrily with a care in the world.  
  
"Lily Evans is one creepy girl" James admitted as he pulled himself up. Sirius grinned cheekily, trying to find some amusement in the odd situation. "Awe, c'mon, she isn't that bad. You have to admit she's hot. Soft red hair, big green eyes, pale smooth ---" but he didnt finish his sentence because his buddy socked him against the head, both of them heading lazily back up to the boys dormitory. "Your sick, Sirius. Sick, sick, sick" James muttured sleepily.  
  
Sirius chuckled but the small good huhmour did not hide the obvious. Professor Hatch was murdered.   
  
***  
  
"I'm afraid to say that classes are canceled today" A wise and old Headmaster Dumbledore announced during breakfast. Lily instantly dropped her forkm giving him her full ateention. Personally the young girl favored her headmaster. He was kind and giving, and willing to help anybody whether House or age. He had always been a good friend.  
  
Lily waited for more news patiently, but the Headmaster sat down delicately in his seat, without further words. Lily blinked starring back at her food. Oh. Of course. The reason they weren't having classes was because her potions master was dead. She sighed closing her eyes. She looked considerably better then yesterday all the dirt and dust cleaned off her red hair in two next ponytails. Her eyes were red rimmed though, and her nose as puffy as a cherry.   
  
The minute she got back into the common room she took a 2 hour shower and went to sleep instantly. And she truly didn't want to wake up. Never. Sleeping Beauty didn't know how lucky she had it. "Did you hear that, Lily? A day off!" Cicily stated merrily in the seat next to her. The little girl had barely noticed the crying symptoms but she knew Clem was suspecting. Lily was trying desperately to avoid her.   
  
The last thing she wanted to do was spill all of her adventure with Mr.Potter to Clem that involved finding Professor Hatch dead in a hidden closet. No, No. Uh Uh. Don't think so. "Great!" Lily replied with false cheerfullness as she reached for her 4th biscuit. She had the hole the size of a bucket in her stomach and she was trying hopelessly to fill it.   
  
"I still can't find any information on Unia, nor whatever it was in the forest. It's driving me crazy" Lily grumbled, as Cicily sighed and took a swallow of orange juice. "Me too. So, how was detention?" Lily practically choked on the biscuit coughing roughly and rapidly. "Oh, Oh! Drink!" thel ittle girl exclaimed handing her friend the glass of juice and Lily gulped it down carefully and greatfully.  
  
"Oh, gosh! What happened?" Lily breathed quietly filling herself in and out with oxygen. "Wrong Tube" she rasped clearly embrassed starring down evilly at the biscuit. "No kidding... Thought I lost you for a minute. So how was---?"  
  
"So, should we got to the library now? Before it gets so crowded you know? We'll never get a table" Lily abruptly pulled off the long bench at the table grabbing her bag off the floor quickly. Cicily frowned stopped the second time from getting a answer from Lily. "Oh. Good thinking! Alright let's go" she shurgged the obvious off and pulled her own bag around her shoulders.  
  
Lily sighed relief flooding into her system. To close. Yeah, Cicily was nice and all but there was no way Lily was 'fessing. Not now, and hopefully not ever. "C'mon, then! I hope we can find something today!" she grinned falsely. Blah. False Cheerfulness. Who needs it???  
  
***  
  
"James!" a high pitched voice exclaimed and he was instantly hit.   
  
"Ugh... g'morning, Lady" James greeted his girlfriend, groggily. He and Sirius ended up staying up til about three in the morning last night, talking and even after that James still couldn't sleep without seeing a despicable pair of feet out a door. Thank god for no classes. He'd end up napping in all. Not like it was his first time though... His parents were right. He was to smart for his own good.  
  
"Hey. Did you hear? No classes today! Looks like one of the Professor's are sick again" Lady chatted smoothly squishing herself in between Remus and James at the breakfast table. James perked up at the one comment as Lady rattled on. He hadn't clicked two and two together. No classes because of missing Professor. The dead missing Professor.   
  
James regretted every mean thing he'd ever done to that old Professor Hatch. Didn't quite deserve to croak like that. James peeked up at Lady who was still miracously talking about her first three hours of the day with a loud clarity. Her brown curls bounced optimisticly and her clear lue eyes seemed more cheerful then usual. Something was up.   
  
After a few more minutes of chatting (or more like Lady just talking to herself), James finished his breakfast and pulled himself up from the table. "Well, see you guys later" he said to the Mauraders and the girls. "Oh wait, James, I want to talk to you" Lady giggled pulling herself up after him, clutching to something under her robe. James frowned, puzzled, as she took his elbow and lead him to the doorway to the Great Hall. Something was definately up.   
  
Lady's eyes twinkled merrily as they hid in a small corner at the doorway. "Lady I'm alittle bit..."   
  
"Happy Anniversary, James!!!" Lady erupted giggling as she pulled out a tightly wrapped box with flying snith paper. Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit. James felt his eyebrows scrunch in confusion and shock. Anniversary? Anniversary of excatly what? Three weeks dating? He took the package carefully into his grasp his mind reeling. Oy, not good, not good at all. Freackin Anniversary. Since when?  
  
"Um... oh, thank you, Lady" he finally managed clumsily hid mind still trying to grasp the situation tightly. Lady grinned looking down at it. "You'll love it" she insisted her eyes twinkling, her hands twitching gently around her rop in a sort of hiestance. "At least, I hope so" she gave another nervous giggle. James watched her fidget and quietly shunned himself.   
  
He had to think quick. He didn't even know there was an Anniversary today and Lady had given him a present and he had none for her. Think quick, Potter, your digging yourself in a hole. He felt immensely guilty as the sparkle slowly started to die out of the young girl's eyes. Suddenly the idea came so quickly, that it had even shocked him.   
  
His lips curled in what he had hoped wa sa very secertive and sexy smile. He leaned forward til he was practically kissing her ear. "Check under your pillow tonight" he whispered softly, his breath gently tickling her. Lady's sparkle was instantly ignatied and a huge smile spread across her cute but empty face. She gently kissed him and went on her little way, feeling great all because James had a quick, sharp mind  
  
He felt himself grin in pride.  
  
"I'm good, I'm good, I'm good" he remaked glowing in his marvelous success. But now he was in a bit of a trouble. He was going to have to find that girl a descent present before bedtime and sneak up to the girl's dormitory.   
  
Thank the lord for no classes. Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
  
***  
  
Onto Chapter 5....  
  
BRAVO! Now... wouldn't it be weird, if we said Brocolli instead of Bravo? I mean, why Bravo? Brocolli is a fine weird. Lovely word actually.  
  
So all together now....  
  
BROCOLLI!!!  
  
Thank you and Have a Nice Day.  
  
~MerlinsApprentince 


End file.
